Beneath Cherry Blossoms
by KisekiMa
Summary: Sakura Zenjou has no magic. This is what she believes, as she turns her back on the world of magi. But the magi world will come to her anyway. (A new route, where the Matous still have magic, the 4th War went differently, and Sakura, with her powers sealed by Tokiomi, tries to live as a normal person.)
1. The Gift of Fate

**Beneath Cherry Blossoms**

"What a strange thing!  
to be alive  
beneath cherry blossoms."  
― Kobayashi Issa

"You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give  
You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have  
I give you thanks for receiving, it's my privilege  
And you owe me nothing in return"

― Alanis Morissette

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Gift of Fate**

_"A group of men harassing a girl? I've seen that before. But this time I'm free to oppose and I'm sure you won't like it."_

* * *

_Snip._

A strand of white hair fell on the table. The hand with the scissors stopped shaking. There was no reason to regret anything.

_Snip. Snip. Snip._

One precise cut after another and soon it was done. Sakura methodically got rid of every single white strand that blemished her hair.

Why there were so many of them recently? She's never been excessively healthy, but for the last few weeks it felt too much for her. She suffered a constant headache and ate so much that everyone at school feared her stomach was going to explode. Yet, she lost weight, like if something was devouring her from the inside.

"Maybe it's just stress," she murmured to herself, then sighed painfully. Everyone would be nervous in her place, right?

The main reason for that appeared some time ago on her right temple, just beneath the line of hair. First it looked like a bruise, so she ignored the problem. But a bruise would disappear naturally, not become more visible. Now it was like a freshly made, crimson tattoo in shape of… an eye, probably?

Maybe it was a mark of demon possession? A visit in the local church wouldn't hurt, but Sakura winced at the thought. The priest, Kirei Kotomine, was the last person she could trust with such delicate matter.

Well, at least he had enough decency to pay for her room in Miyama. Traveling everyday to school from the other town, where Sakura's grandparents lived, would be too inconvenient, so she decided to move into this damp attic room. As the official guardian of Tokiomi's daughters, Kirei couldn't refuse to give her at least this much.

Still, Sakura felt that Kotomine should be the last person to know about the mark. She decided to hide it under the new hairstyle and makeup, but suspected it wasn't enough. Fortunately, Shirou came home late today, so Sakura left before he could notice anything. Miss Fujimura already gave her few meaningful looks in the morning. Even Mr. Kuzuki was staring at her at school for last few days, clearly suspecting something.

Frowning, Sakura furiously attacked the annoying mark with a brush, then rearranged her hair. It would be easier to just apply a patch, but she wasn't ready for the uncomfortable questions. Rin will surely notice that something is wrong, even if she won't tell a word. And Shirou…

No, she already caused him enough problems. He deserved much better than that.

Feeling powerless again, the girl stared blankly at her own face in the mirror. She had that characteristic black-brown hair and teal eyes of the Tohsaka family.

_"__I don't need your protection, Rin. Don't you understand that I do not belong to your world?"_

But, despite all her resemblance to Rin, something in her face screamed of the blood of the Zenjous in her veins.

_"__You look just like your mother, my little Sakura."_

_Who is this person?_ \- she wondered. _A failure_, answered her own voice inside her head. _A nuisance. A disappointment._

She should ran away, or better disappear completely. But not yet. Not when Shirou promised to see cherry blossoms with her.

_Am I just being selfish?_

With so many bad thoughts and doubts, her head started to hurt again. Sakura mechanically swallowed a handful of painkillers. They were not of much help recently, even if she ate them like candies, but at least let her calm down a little.

She just needed to wait for spring.

There was one more important decision to make until then. Sakura looked at the package and flowers on the table. She could tell the name of the sender even without reading the note.

_"__You should really consider my offer, Sakura. Without the protection of a magi house… things may happen to you. Very, very bad things."_

"Shinji, you just don't know when to quit, do you?" She sighed, weighting the mysterious box in her hand. I surely contained another courting gift from this annoying young man.

Was he really to blame, though? Zenjou blood was as almost precious as the blood of the great families. For the Matous, whose magic was at the verge of vanishing, increasing the potential of their future heirs was crucial. And a perfect candidate to achieve this goal – what a gift of fate, indeed! – just happened to be within their reach.

There were moments, those rare moments of fear and pain, when she was seriously considering Shinji's proposition. It was a good deal, after all, beneficial for everyone, maybe except Sakura herself. But Shinji seemed… slimy to her. Sakura doubted she could ever trust someone like him.

Nevertheless, she finally opened the package, out of sheer curiosity. Shinji did not accept returns, no matter how many times she sent his gifts back, so she could at least take a look.

"It's… beautiful," she said, amazed by the effort put into preparing such amazing gift.

It was a small figurine – an elephant made of gold and decorated with jewels. She caressed gently its rough surface, surprised how ancient it seemed. The statuette smelled like something old enough to develop its own kind of exotic, weird magic.

A particularly big sapphire attached to the elephant's forehead made her think of Tohsaka's magic. Yes, her sister will certainly make good use of it.

Sakura hid the little treasure in the pocket of her coat. She will give it to Rin tomorrow at school.

Planning the next day's activities always had a calming effects on her shattered nerves. Tomorrow she had a training session at the archery dojo after the meal with Shirou…

"Oh, no! I knew I forgot something!"

She left the Emiya household in panic, to hide that awful mark as soon as possible, so shopping was out of the question. She completely forgot that they ran out of soy sauce.

Shirou liked his morning rice with soy sauce, so he will certainly buy it by himself and smile gently, saying that it's not a problem. But for Sakura it was very important. If Shirou couldn't rely on her even in such trivial matter, why would he keep her by his side ? No matter how hard she tried, she always was…

_A failure_. _A nuisance. A disappointment._

Sakura hesitated only for a second, then put on her coat and ran into the evening darkness.

* * *

"Hey, missy, it's not safe to wander here at night, you know?"

Sakura shivered, cursing her bad luck. The convenience store was right behind the corner, not much than 200 meters from there, and yet she got into troubles.

She found herself surrounded by a group of strange men. They were fast like wild cats – Sakura had seen Rin moving like that, when she was practicing the strengthening spells.

"How did you cross our barrier, hmmm?" One of the guys, a weirdo with an eyepatch and a strange gun, approached her, smirking maliciously. "Are you a nasty little witch?"

"A barrier?" Sakura instinctively stepped back, but stopped halfway to not bump into a stranger behind her. So they indeed were a group of mages… and she accidentally broke through their defensive spell. How was that possible? She had no magic and couldn't feel anything suspicious, maybe except a heavy metallic smell in the air. "I don't know what you're talking about. Please, let me pass."

"Yeah, right." The one-eyed man threatened her with a weapon. "Every nasty witch says so." He glanced at one of his companions. "Check her."

"Isn't she that Zenjou girl our client wants to marry?" asked the mage who stood behind Sakura. Intimidated by his deep voice, the girl didn't have enough courage to turn around.

"Whatever… Let's take a closer look." The tallest stranger looked at Sakura through a strange piece of red glass. "Oh, shit! She's sealed. I've never seen something like this before!"

"Give me that!" Their leader snatched the glass from him. "Damn, her circuits! Something like this qualifies for a Sealing Designation. Take her!"

The circle around Sakura tightened. She stepped back, staring at their hands, shamelessly reached out to catch her, but bumped into the guy that guarded the back. Her heart was beating like crazy, and her head hurt so much it could explode.

"Please stop. I told you, I was just passing by, I won't tell anyone…" Sakura kept explaining, begging even, but no one listened. She needed to defend herself. She found the golden figurine of an elephant in her pocket – it should be enough to at least hit one of them in the head.

Someone touched her hair and that was too much for Sakura. The mark on her temple suddenly burst out with a blinding red light and something within the girl just… exploded, like a shattered glass.

"Don't touch me! Somebody help me!"

The entire space within the barrier went white. The mages scattered, taking positions or preparing their magic, and Sakura fell to her knees, suddenly too exhausted to stand.

The white radiance took shape of a person - a dark-skinned man in elegant white robes with blue details.

"Hmmm." His voice was calm, but full of not-hidden dislike. "A group of men harassing a girl? I've seen that before. But this time I'm free to oppose and I'm sure you won't like it."

The mages reacted to this threat with an instant attack. A team of trained Executors would be faster and less hesitant, probably would even use weapons able to hurt a spiritual being. But, fortunately for Sakura and her mysterious savior, those men were only a bunch of novice freelancers, scouting rather than hunting. None of them expected a serious resistance from a teenage girl.

Sakura's new companion knew that as well, and he did not waste time. His hand moved slightly while he whispered something. The girl couldn't catch the words through the noise, but she noticed a trace of strange magic in the air, like a purple mist around their heads.

The mages froze for a moment, fighting the charm or whatever was thrown at them. And then something weird happened.

"They're killing each other," Sakura whispered in terror, staring at the hell that had unleashed before her eyes. They were mercilessly shooting, stabbing and burning their former companions. And they seemed terrified, as if they comrades just turned into an army of demons.

The stranger in white watched the slaughter for a moment, motionless like a bronze sculpture of an ancient warrior, then slowly turned to Sakura and helped her get up.

"Forgive me for acting on my own, Master." He bowed deeply before the startled girl, embarrassing her even more. "Servant Caster, came in response to your summons. My power is yours to command and your fate is also my fate. Our pact is now sealed."

Sakura didn't know how to react. She just stood there, watching her Servant. Thanks to Rin she heard enough about the Grail Wars to understand the basics. Deep inside Sakura knew from the very beginning what the mark on her skin really meant. And she hated it with all her might.

Magic killed her parents and raised an invisible wall between Sakura and her only sister. Magic made her feel like a miserable outcast. Magic was the main reason she considered marrying a man she actually despised.

And now magic did THIS to her, again and against her will.

All of this must have been painted on the girl's face, because Caster watched her carefully in silence with an extremely sad expression.

"The barrier vanished," he said eventually, when the commotion behind his back stopped. "We should leave before someone discovers the bodies, Master."

Sakura wanted to agree, but a sudden movement on the ground caught her attention. The guy with an eyepatch was still breathing. He must have shook off the charm somehow, because he prepared the last destructive spell…

"Behind you!"

It was everything the girl managed to say, before something red and sharp pierced the heart of the wounded magician, silencing him for good.

"Phew, that was close," said a man in a strange blue armor. He smiled to Sakura from one of the roofs, then jumped to the ground faster than any mortal. "And you, dandy, should better guard that cute Master of yours. I intended to stay silent and observe, but you made enough mess to wake up the entire town… at least on a spiritual level."

Caster slowly turned to the intruder, shielding Sakura with his own body from any possible attack. His voice was calm and polite, when he spoke again.

"Usually being saved by a potential opponent is a shame for a warrior. But pretending that nothing's happened would make me look like a despicable hypocrite, so… You have my thanks, Lancer."

"Oh? So you are a honorable dandy?" The spearman in blue tilted his head, scanning the other Servant from head to toe. "That bit of divine dignity and a smell of lightning… If you really are who I suspect you are, fighting you should be fun. Now prepare your bow, Archer, and let us finish before more Servants come."

Sakura frowned. Her Servant did not introduce himself properly, and she had no idea why the spearman assumed he should be using a bow.

"I'm more than eager to answer your challenge, but the decision is not mine to make." Caster glanced at the girl over his shoulder. "What should we do, Master?"

Sakura looked at him questioningly and hesitated. Dismissing her Servant or surrendering him to another Master seemed tempting for someone who wanted to stay away from all this mess. But there was something strange in Caster's eyes that made her change her mind.

_Is he… apologizing? What for?_ For selflessly coming to her aid when she was about to die? Or maybe for dragging her into a war she hated from the bottom of her heart?

It was not his fault, yet he apologized. No one ever apologized to her, only that one precious person…

"We'll fight," she said, straightening up proudly. It was the least she could do to thank the hero who answered her desperate call for help.

"That's the spirit, Miss!" Lancer smiled widely, taking his battle stance. "See, you may prepare. Archer. Give me a good fight and I promise I won't hurt your cute Master. As long as it depends on me, she can leave freely, even if you fall here tonight."

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not going to lose to you." Sakura's Servant stretched out his hand and materialized a tiny blue sphere on the top of his forefinger. It looked like a ball of condensed lightning.

Lancer raised an eyebrow at the view.

"That's all?"

"That's more than enough," Caster replied, finally letting himself smile a bit. "Father, give me your blessing. Here I come!"

* * *

So… to celebrate Sakura's birthday, I present to You another changed timeline. You may expect to see most of the original SN cast (plus one additional Servant in different class and one OC Servant).

The chapter may seem a bit rushed, but I really wanted to publish it today. Next ones will be slower and more polished, I hope.

I would really like to know what You think and will gladly answer Your questions.

And, of course, I own only my stupid ideas and bad writing.


	2. Scheming Bastards

**Chapter 2: Scheming Bastards**

_"__I don't care for the other Servant, feel free to defend yourself if you're attacked, but don't you dare to hurt my sister!"_

* * *

"Damn, you're annoying!"

Although Lancer was persistently pushing forward, forcing his opponent to focus on the defense, none of his thrusts actually reached the target. Caster was always a second or a mere centimeter ahead, like he could predict every move of the red spear. And when he couldn't dodge the strike, he blocked it with that small ball of lightning, which fired thunderbolts in Lancer's face.

"Are you reading my mind or what?" The spearman growled angrily; his bloodlust was raising with every passing second. He preferred a traditional way of fighting, in which he could show off his skills and strength, but it he'd been dragged into a weird match of concentration and willpower instead. "It's pointless anyway. You won't be able to dodge, if I'm way faster than you."

Caster did not object, fully aware of the truth in the other warrior's words. Letting Lancer to come this close was a mistake from the very beginning. They both knew that every single blow could be fatal. With almost no support from his novice Master, and only a thin layer of energy as his shield, Caster desperately tried to avoid the attacks of the fierce and talented Servant in blue.

The psychological effect of his strange 'weapon' was a thing, though. Whenever the tip of his spear touched the shining surface of the ball, Lancer instinctively pushed back. He didn't mind the lightning itself, but wasn't yet ready to face the consequences of destroying it, especially in a narrow passage between buildings.

Caster noticed this bit of hesitation and decided to use it to his advantage.

_Dogs are usually afraid of the storm, aren't they?_

"Divine lightning…" His eyes were shining unnaturally, when he counted something in his head. Two steps back, one step to the left. It was like a dance, when one's body must perfectly perform the commands of a mind. "Descend and strike, Vajra!"

The ball splattered into many smaller ones, that surrounded Lancer and fired electricity at him from all directions.

"Damn Clairvoyance!" Lancer hissed through his teeth, shaking off the sparkles, just like wet dogs do with their fur after the rain. "Archery must be carved in your soul, even if you're reduced to a mere magician."

"Indeed, this container is somehow hindering, but also gives some new, interesting possibilities." Caster stepped back and dispelled the lightning with another dance gesture. "May I suggest we stop for now? If you start fighting seriously, I will be obliged to answer with equal amount of power. And it won't end good for this area."

"Oh? So you can tell that I'm just toying with you?" Lancer chuckled, but it was hard to say if he was amused or really pissed off. At least until he took another battle position, on his bent knees, and his spear burst with red energy. "Then what will you tell me about THIS?"

Although Sakura's Servant knew what was coming, he did not even blink. It seemed that such display was not enough to scare him.

"I'm sure you can tell this is not the right time or place to go all out. I won't be running away from you, so we can finish this anytime." A tiny smirk crossed his face when police sirens sounded somewhere in the distance. "I bet your Master also doesn't need troubles."

Sakura swallowed painfully behind Caster's back. Until now she was observing the fight. Indeed, the noises those two made must have alarmed someone already, and if the corpses will be discovered... She glanced at the dead bodies of the freelancers, gruesomely curled in the pool of slowly drying blood, and suddenly it was too much for her.

"Master!" Her Servant caught her just before she hit the ground. It clearly didn't matter to him that exposing his back to a talented spearman wasn't very wise… Or maybe he just knew that this warrior would not attack so dishonorably?

Lancer chuckled helplessly at this reckless but justified behavior of the other Servant. His bloodlust was suddenly gone.

"I can't decide if you're honest and direct or just a slimy manipulator, Caster. And I don't like it." He shook his head and dispersed the spear. "Fine, take care of your cute Master. I promised to let her go and it seems she won't be able to make it without you, so..."

"Don't think you're doing me a favor." Although Caster was holding the girl in his arms with great care, his gaze, focused on the spearman, was cold and cruel. That contrast seemed… disturbing, even for Lancer. "Next time you will have my full attention."

"You're surprisingly cocky for a weakling and a dandy." The warrior in blue bared his teeth in a wild, irritating grin. "I've seen enough. My job here is done."

With those words, he disappeared into the night.

* * *

"What do you think, Rider?"

A beautiful woman materialized obediently in the back alley, next to her Master. She wore a gilded heavy linothorax on a white dress with blue accents. Her gorgeous black hair was pinned under a thin diadem.

"Lancer seems to be the most dangerous so far," she replied flatly. "It shouldn't be surprising, because Casters are usually territorial and this one had no chance to establish a safe hideout for himself yet. It's also highly possible that his more powerful attacks destroy huge areas, so he couldn't - or didn't want to - use them here. I would recommend further observation to confirm it."

"_Master_." The mage's eyes narrowed dangerously, his curly blue hair waved like a seaweed. "You forgot to say it. Again. But…" He smiled, and it wasn't a kind expression. "… I will forgive you, if you stop wearing that ridiculous armor when we talk. Something more sensual will fit you much better."

Rider did not bother to answer, only stared coldly at the wielder of her Command Spells. It was a gaze of a queen disciplining a peasant.

Shinji Matou did not look impressed by this silent threat. It was his typical way of dealing with literally anyone, women in particular – always checking how deep into submission he can push them.

"Stare as much as you want, it won't change anything. I have enough of your tactical blabbering for today, Rider. Begone!"

He waved his hand dismissively and his Servant dematerialized with a quiet sigh. Shinji ignored her whims and smiled even wider. Everything was going according to plan so far, he could say that the Grail was already his. Soon even that proud woman will understand that and completely submit herself to him.

* * *

It was that weird moment just before waking up, when real voices and images can invade the realm of dreams.

Even through her closed eyes Sakura could feel a thin ray of sunlight crawling on her skin. With that sensation came the sad realization, that she failed Shirou and the others again.

_How long have I been asleep? I probably missed not only our breakfast, but also the archery training._

Not that she would be of any use anyway - a terrible headache made it impossible to focus. Sakura breathed out slowly. She felt extremely tired, something inside her was burning. It felt like every single vein in her body was full of liquid fire. No, not veins, she realized. Something else, hidden much deeper. Something she never suspected to possess.

That chain of weird thoughts had been abruptly broken by an annoying ringing of a phone.

"I'm really sorry, but Sakura won't be coming to school today. No, nothing happened. Actually, it's my fault… She's been kind enough to take care of a visitor from abroad. Ah, I'm sure we will. Thank you, Miss Mitsuzuri. You too take care."

That voice… So it wasn't only a weird dream and she'd been saved by a strange foreigner. No, not actually a person, but a Servant. HER Servant.

He was sitting at the table and looking through the window. Sakura quickly realized that it was a carefully chosen position. He was observing the street through a curtain, like a guard dog.

It was too dark for her to notice more details, except of a modern coat Caster was wearing – how did he get one? – and a figurine of a golden elephant, which he was unwittingly caressing.

_Did Shinji know the statuette was this ancient and precious?_ If so, why did he give it to Sakura? And now, when a Servant had been already summoned, what he would want in return?

Deep inside she already knew the answer.

Sakura almost sighed, thinking of the ugly, itching mark on her temple. Her symbol of power over that humanoid weapon, her Command Spells, shaped as an eye. A sharp eye of an Archer, yes, but also a symbolic 'third eye' of a Caster.

Could it be even more ironic for someone who despised magic in general?

Well, it should be easy then to get rid of the spells, and of the 'problem' that was sitting near the window. Probably that was exactly what Shinji wanted – a free Servant to get the upper hand in upcoming fights.

Too bad that Sakura hated to let Shinji have what he wanted. She would rather give her Servant to Rin, if she had a choice.

But what if her Servant didn't want to be disposed of? Would he oppose and defend himself? Would a Command Spell be enough to stop him from killing a disappointing excuse of a Master?

_Maybe we should just talk first?_

Exactly when she thought about it, Caster stood up and looked at her. Maybe he was reading her mind all the time? That spearman in blue also suspected that Caster used such tricks in their fight. Sakura knew she must be careful, but how could she protect her mind knowing so little about magecraft?

"Good to see you awake, Master." His voice was polite, charming even, and Sakura took that for another warning. His sharp eyes were scanning her for a moment in search of injuries, then brightened with an undefined emotion. Was it relief? "Forgive me for not possessing any healing magic. I treated the wounds on your knees, they shouldn't left any scars." Not knowing why exactly, Sakura blushed intensively at the thought of some stranger touching her knees. She instinctively moved back on bent elbows, when he approached her with a bowl in his hand. "Here's the meal that should make you feel better. I also did what I could to stabilize your circuits, but I'm not experienced enough to open them to full capacity. If I pushed too much energy at once, you could end up paralyzed or worse…"

"Stop it right there," Sakura interrupted angrily. She remembered how in old times, when she still believed she could be a magus like her sister, they were discussing Servant classes. _"Archers and Casters are the hardest to control,"_ Rin said back then. _"Archers just do what they want, due to their skills, and Casters usually know more about magic than their Masters. These classes are generally made of scheming bastards!"_ Sakura swallowed at this thought, but – surprisingly even for herself – she felt more irritated than afraid. "Slow down. I know that you needed to take action, and I really appreciate your help, but now I'm awake and can decide for myself."

"Master, I do understand that you may be tired and annoyed…"

"Sure I am!" For a moment she looked like she wanted to slap him in the face. "Tell me, who asked you to pick up the phone? Your kind is summoned to fight, not to ruin my personal life!"

Caster submissively stepped back, looking almost like a kicked puppy.

"My deepest apologies, Master. Of course I know my place. Please, utilize me to my fullest." He bowed deeply; his confession seemed honest, but movements became even more stiff than before. "I had no intention to ruin anything, I got caught off guard because of that new material body. It won't happen again, Master."

Suddenly Sakura felt wrong, like she'd just lost something important. But, having no idea what it was and how to fix it, she ignored the problem for now and focused on more pressing matters.

"What's wrong with your body? Who are you anyway? How did you know my address? And what kind of weird magic are you giving me to eat?"

Caster could comment on asking too many questions at once, but he only smiled, more amused than offended by her rant.

"It's just some yoghurt with honey, no 'weird magic' involved," he said, offering her the bowl and a small spoon. "The food of the gods. Eat, please. It will help you recover."

Sakura narrowed her eyes, but accepted the meal this time. Her stomach was rumbling, almost glued to the spine. She felt like the summoning had robbed her of at least few weeks of lifespan.

"Thank you." She ate a bit and frowned, surprised. It tasted weird, but not bad, and her body was screaming for calories anyway. "But how did you get the ingredients? And that coat?"

"I believe that revealing my identity will help me with answering those last questions, Master. Maybe you know it already? My true name is Arjuna, the third prince of the Pandavas, son of Kunti and Lightning God Indra."

* * *

Rin Tohsaka was acting strangely today. She was wandering aimlessly around the school, half-asleep and utterly annoyed. Even teachers noticed that sudden change of behavior of their most popular student and openly commented on it, while the rest kept whispering weird rumors behind her back.

The main reason of Rin's nervousness was the fact, that she couldn't find Sakura anywhere. She even visited the archery dojo, exposing herself to mean comments coming from Shinji.

Well, he wasn't there either, but that wasn't a good sign. Not this time.

Having no other choice, Tohsaka decided to ask Mitsuzuri about Sakura's unexpected absence.

"She didn't tell you anything?" The captain of the archery club frowned, deep in thought. "I called to Sakura in the morning, but that guy told me she won't be coming today."

Tohsaka suddenly turned pale, suspecting the worst.

"A guy?! What guy?! Maybe Emiya?"

Ayako looked at Rin with a weird mix of astonishment and concern.

"Huh? What Emiya has to do with that?" She raised an eyebrow, sensing a romance in the air. "I don't know, he did not introduce himself. But he had such beautiful, smooth voice…" She sighed, remembering the sensation. Tohsaka winced – she'd never seen Ayako behaving like this before. "He said that Sakura is helping him to settle down in Fuyuki and I suggested that we can help him too, or at least spend some time together. Don't you think it's a brilliant idea?"

But Rin was not listening anymore. She stormed out of the dojo like a red devil from a child's tale.

"Rin, are you sure you're not overreacting?" asked her nameless Servant, the amnesiac Archer in red. He was patiently escorting his Master in spirit form, but it seemed that he, too, had enough for today.

"During the Grail War? I don't think so."

"Hmmm."

Rin rolled her eyes. She already knew it was Archer's way to disagree with her without exposing himself to her - mostly unjustified - anger.

She barely noticed that she'd bumped into someone in a hurry near the school's entrance.

"Tohsaka?" A familiar red hair filled her field of view for a moment. "Better be careful or you're going to hurt someone…"

"I definitely will hurt you, if you won't leave me alone, Emiya," she growled and passed him by, like if nothing had happened. But just after few steps she turned around and approached him again, this time with an angelic smile glued forcibly to her scary face. "I almost forgot… Have you seen Sakura today?"

"That's a serious change of mood…" Shirou somehow controlled the urge to withdraw. "No, actually I was looking for you to ask the same question, Tohsaka. I was worried, because it's not like Sakura to cancel her plans without saying anything first."

"I see." Rin stared at Shirou for a long, tense moment. "Now listen carefully, Emiya, because I won't be repeating myself." She poked him accusingly in the chest. "Don't even think of paying Sakura a visit or something. Stay out of this for your own good. It's dangerous to roam outside nowadays, especially at night, got it?"

She didn't wait for his answer, though, just resumed her wild run to the exit, leaving the poor guy startled near the gate.

"Aren't we supposed to act carefully and keep the Grail War a secret?" Archer asked after a while of awkward silence.

"I didn't tell him anything! It's just a warning, because I can't split up to guard them both!"

That last sentence clearly alarmed Archer. A new, harsh and accusing tune sounded in his usually calm voice.

"Rin. I understand the sisterly love, but is there something you owe to that boy?"

"No," she replied with a frown, knowing exactly what he meant. "I just don't want any bystanders involved, when things will get violent. And, knowing Shirou Emiya, he will surely stick his nose into this, sooner or later."

"Hmmm."

Tohsaka sighed helplessly, trying hard to refrain from running all the way to the Sakura's place. She had enough problems already, and adding her Servant's sulks to the list didn't look good.

"Better prepare, Archer." She instinctively checked the spare jewels in her pocket. "I don't know what we'll find when we get there, but it may be our first battle in this war."

"As you wish, Rin. I'm ready."

* * *

"Of course I know this name. I'm in the archery club, after all!"

Caster stared at Sakura, finally giving her an opportunity to look at him more closely. She noticed a sign of passion in his big brown eyes when she mentioned archery.

"Really?" Sakura was sure that he showed her a genuine smile this time, and she liked it. Her inner Tohsaka noted a weak spot of this annoyingly composed man. "That's… I'm flattered and… Master, if it's not a problem for you, will you let me assist you with your training?"

The girl blinked, not knowing what to think about it.

"Sure, I guess," she replied eventually and, mostly to use his sudden enthusiasm to her advantage, added quickly: "But first answer my questions. Please."

"Of course. I checked the address on your school ID, Master. I found it in the pocket of your coat. After taking care of your wounds, I let myself to check the surroundings and met your lovely neighbor from the ground floor."

"You mean that old hag?! Yhmmm…" The girl almost bit her tongue. It might be rude to speak ill of the elders, but that particular woman did her best to make Sakura's life difficult.

"Y-yes. She was very nice, even gave me the food and that coat. She said it belonged to her grandson, who doesn't come to visit her anymore, how sad... I needed to improvise, though, so I introduced myself as an exchange student from India."

Sakura swallowed painfully. So, first Mitsuzuri, and now the entire neighborhood knew that a handsome foreigner moved in to her small room. Great, juicy rumors were all she needed in her current situation!

"I thought that Servants don't need modern clothes," she muttered, visibly displeased, mostly to change the topic.

"Usually we don't, if the summoning is performed by an experienced mage. Your circuits are of top quality, Master, but were dormant for a long time. You cannot produce magical energy or use spells until you reopen them."

"So it's my fault that you're stuck in this body?" Feeling useless again, Sakura stopped eating and grasped the spoon so strongly that her fingers became white.

"It's nothing to worry about, Master. I have plenty of my own energy. Sleep and food can help as well." He was carefully observing her reactions for a moment, and it seemed that he understood her struggles. "If someone's at fault here, it's the mage who secretly put a seal on you. And it's still hard to judge, not knowing that person's true intentions. I'm not an expert on magecraft, but that seal was made in a hurry. It's unexpected it lasted this long."

_Not an expert, huh?_ The girl frowned, thinking intensively of what he'd just said. Rin was sure that Caster is the weakest of all Servant classes, so it seemed natural that a weakling like Sakura would get one, right? But this one was worse than she could ever imagine.

"How can you be a Caster if you're not a mage?"

She shuddered, surprised by the tone of her own voice. Normally she would never dare to speak so harshly to anyone who's not utterly annoying to her. Maybe she reacted like that because he was to her like an incarnation of magic itself?

Caster, however, did not show any sign of negative emotions, rather wondered for a moment how to answer her question.

"Technically, every famous hero can be summoned as a Caster. Not only we are the creatures made of magic, but also every legend has a bit of magic in it." He smiled gently and Sakura wondered if he was faking that expression. How could he be so kind to a girl, who constantly vented her frustration on him? "But I guess it's not what you wanted to know, Master. It seems that the times have changed. The gods are gone and what was considered simply a weapon in my era, now is seen as magic."

"Weapons, you say?" Now she seemed genuinely interested. "Tell me more about it."

"With pleasure, Master, but I'm afraid it will have to wait." He turned to the window with that cold, focused expression Sakura remembered from the last night. "I can sense an enemy Servant nearby, and it's approaching fast. Keeping you safe is my top priority, so I should go out to meet it."

Sakura tensed visibly. She didn't expect Shinji to come here, at least not during a day, so it left only one person…

"Caster!" The unexpected determination in her voice made Arjuna freeze in place. "I don't care for the other Servant, feel free to defend yourself if you're attacked, but don't you dare to hurt my sister!"

_Sister? I see… _Suddenly his heart ached, full of sadness. _What did you expect, Arjuna? That wars between siblings were exclusive to your era?_

"Understood, Master," he said, softer than ever before. "It may affect my fighting potential, but, as long as your life is not in danger, I will obey."

Not yet convinced that it's safe to trust him, Sakura watched in silence, how the door slammed shut behind Caster's back.

* * *

**BONUS: Character Sheet**

_For the mind is restless, turbulent, obstinate and very strong, O Krsna, and to subdue it is, it seems to me, more difficult than controlling the wind._ /Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 6, Verse 34/

Class: Caster

True Name: Arjuna

Master: Sakura Zenjou

Alignment: Lawful Neutral (?)

This aspect of Arjuna represents his legendary ability to concentrate. His mind is both his stronghold and the most powerful weapon.

Strength: D

Agility: B

Endurance: D

Mana: A+

Luck: A+

NP: ?

Personal Skills

**Clairvoyance**: C+ (has the possibility of seeing invisible targets; thanks to his extreme concentration, learnt through the archery training, he manipulates his own sense of time; in balance with other skills may raise to B or B+ and allow a limited future sight)

**Endowed Hero**: A (anyone would occasionally give Arjuna the thing he needed at the moment; he will not lack in anything, as long as he doesn't have an active cause, like a curse*)

**Divinity**: B

**Sthit****a**** Prajna:** A (or 'a person of steady wisdom', a modified version of **Instinct** skill; the results are obtained by the steadiness of one's mind and senses, not thanks to intuition or natural talent)

Class Skills

**Item Construction**: -

**Territory Creation**: - (this skill only boosts Arjuna's personal skills, giving him Magic Resistance against any form of mental manipulation; when he focuses, his mind becomes a kind of a separate dimension, with time and other circumstances working to his advantage)

Noble Phantasms

**Astradhari** ('the Bearer of Celestial Weapons'): rank unknown - Arjuna's ability to use Astras as spells. It 'translates' the essence of Astras into the universal language of magecraft. This Noble Phantasm is always active, which is the main reason why Caster is not able to materialize Gandiva or any other conventionally crafted weapon. Activation of every Astra requires an incantation and the right amount of magical energy.

In his Caster form Arjuna does not possess _Brahmaastra_ or _Pashupata_. There's only one 'spell' powerful enough to qualify as a separate Noble Phantasm, but it consumes so much energy that it should be considered a suicide attack (at least with his current Master).

**Vaishnavastra****: **EX, anti-unit ('Punishment of the Omnipresent'; able to completely destroy one target, irrespective of its nature. Uses the concept of Vishnu as 'force which exists within everything'. As such it can disintegrate anything by unraveling the structure of the target. Infallible, but most likely will use up the entire magical energy of its user).

**Vajra (Conceptual)**: B+ (interpretation of Indra's lightning; in Caster's case it's not a material weapon, like the one stored in Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon, but rather a concept of lightning. As such, this version of Vajra is controlled by its user mentally. It can produce thunderbolts like arrows or form a diamond barrier, but its fighting potential is not impressive).

*quoted directly from TYPE-MOON Wiki

* * *

The next chapter is here at last! Thank You for comments, ideas and other kind of support, it really helped!

So... it seems I'm getting back to my old style, with multiple endings and such. There was a suggestion to include some mature content in this story - I made a poll on my profile to ask what You think about it.

As for Caster, I was thinking about such type of a mind-oriented Servant for a long time. I would like to know what You think about it, and of the story so far.

Thank You for reading and hope to see You soon!


	3. Keeping Up Appearances

**Chapter 3: Keeping Up Appearances**

_"First Caster pretends to be an Archer, now Assassin pretends to be a Caster. What's next, huh? Archer who pretends to be a Saber?"_

* * *

"So it is true that sisters are just different flowers from the same garden."

Rin stopped few meters from the Sakura's house, and Archer materialized behind her. A strange, dark-skinned Servant was waiting there for them, blocking the entrance. It was a smart move, to be honest – if prepared properly, a single warrior could defend this narrow passage for hours, even against an entire army.

Tohsaka frowned, annoyed by his insolent words. Especially that his statistics didn't look impressive, when she checked them with her sight of a Master. _He must be a Caster_, she concluded, not really happy about it.

"If this supposed to be a compliment, it didn't work," she said, crossing her arms.

"It was. Forgive me, I'm not used to this reality yet." Caster bowed slightly. "I will correct my behavior in the future."

"In the future?" Archer raised an eyebrow. "I thought you came here to fight?"

"In the daylight?" Sakura's Servant smiled, too cheerfully, in Rin's opinion. "Only if you attack me first. I'm here to ask what are your intentions towards my Master."

"Sakura is my sister," Tohsaka said angrily. Something about this man iritated her for no logical reason. "Isn't it obvious that I want to help her?"

Caster gave Rin a strange, sad smile in response, making her feel even more uncomfortable than before.

"Of course. So you can give me your word that you and your…" His eyes narrowed dangerously, when he scanned the other Servant from head to toe. "…Archer are here only to talk and you will behave properly near my Master?"

The way he spat the class name of his rival, like not being one was his personal failure, seemed a bit strange. For Archer it was a clue, which helped him guess Caster's true name.

"If by 'behaving' you mean not shooting you in the back while you're immobilized and defenseless, we will," the red bowman answered with a smirk.

Rin sighed, not sure that provoking their potential ally out of the blue is such a good idea. Testing him, even teasing, seemed acceptable, but she suspected that her Servant crossed the line at the very beginning.

Either it was a miss or Caster had nerves made of steel, because he did not react to this verbal assault in any way. Tohsaka could only patiently wait and watch how two Clairvoyance users stare at each other. After a disturbingly long while, Sakura's Servant smiled.

"I see." He gracefully turned around, showing that he couldn't care less for Archer's provocations. "Follow me upstairs. Let's check if Master wants to speak with you."

* * *

Sakura hastily pulled on the first thing she could grab without leaving the bed - a pink, tight sweater she usually wore at home. It wasn't the best outfit to welcome guests, but she had no choice. Her limbs were numb, so much that she couldn't take two steps without falling to the floor. She felt like a baby, who hadn't yet figured out how to walk, and it wasn't a pleasant experience. Caster warned her that she could end up paralyzed, so it wasn't so bad… At least she hoped so.

She crawled out of the bed covers and sat straight, closer to the window. She barely refrained from peeking through it. How pitiful would it be - to stick to the glass like a nosy elderly lady? No, she couldn't humiliate herself like this, not in Rin's presence.

_So Rin came to see me, after all? She always wanted to summon a Saber. Did she make it?_

"Of course she did." Sakura smiled bitterly. "Unlike me, she's always been good at getting what she wants."

The girl nervously wiped the nonexistent dust off her clothes, waiting. The suspicious silence outside made her imagination go wild. Were they just talking? Plotting something? Or fighting to the death somewhere far away, while she stayed here, totally useless?

No, the last eventuality seemed out of the question. Caster promised to obey her orders, even though it put him at a disadvantage...

But Sakura had some really bad experiences with promises made by men, especially the ones she believed in the most. Was it fine to trust some weird guy he'd just met? Well, not actually a guy, but a legendary hero from a distant country, she reminded herself.

It didn't sound any better, to be honest.

Sakura sighed. Why was she so unjust towards someone, who had saved her? Probably because she'd been told a lot about the true nature of Servants. Heroes or not, they were here because they all had their own reasons to win the Grail. And they couldn't achieve anything without a mortal ballast called 'Masters'.

_What is Arjuna's wish anyway? Uuuuugh, I should have asked him before he left! Why am I always forgetting about the most important things?_

Sounds of multiple footsteps at the stairs broke that chain of her wild, dangerous thoughts. Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief, ashamed that she didn't trust her own Servant.

"Master, Miss Rin Tohsaka and her Servant are here to talk," Caster announced through the closed door. For some reason the formal way he had said it made Sakura smile. It was really cute how seriously he treated his duties. "Do you want to hear them out?"

"Yes, please come in."

When the door finally opened, Rin shamelessly pushed past Arjuna in the narrow entrance. Just one look at Sakura was enough for her to understand what happened to the girl's circuits. Tohsaka pressed her hand to Sakura's forehead, checking the fever.

"It's not as bad as I suspected," she admitted with relief. "Whoever gave you first aid, did a great job. Without it you would probably be dead before dawn."

Sakura digested those words in silence. Her head was humbly lowered all the time, but not because she felt scolded by her sister. She simply couldn't look Caster in the eye, after all she'd just heard.

"Do you need my assistance, Master?" Even if Arjuna knew about her feelings, he didn't show it. When Sakura answered with a shake of her head, he just accepted jer decision and invited the other Servant inside with suspicious courtesy.

Archer took position near the window, where he leaned on the wall with his arms crossed and a mysterious expression. Caster sat at his previous spot at the table, from where he could observe the entire room and block Archer's movements, if necessary. There was something hilarious in the way both Servants tried to ignore each other's presence in the small room, almost like two territorial predators forced to share a waterhole.

Rin rolled her eyes, still not sure why Caster annoyed her so much. Judging from Sakura's reaction, something happened between those two, but she was far from suspecting that the strange Servant hurt her sister. Just the opposite, actually – Tohsaka knew how Sakura reacted to people, who were kind to her.

"I need to fix you before it gets worse." Sighing, she turned to Sakura, who had already shaken off the first shock. "I can still feel the remnants of father's seal in your circuits. I'll try to neutralize them with my own magic."

Sakura tensed for a second. Her fists clenched involuntarily, so hard that her fingers turned white.

_So it really was father's doing… Why? Because I wasn't worthy? Or…?_

"It may hurt," Rin warned her, pulling up the sleeves. Her voice brought Sakura back to reality. The younger girl was truly grateful for that. "Try to relax and don't fight me."

Tohsaka grabbed her sister's hand and concentrated. Both girls shivered, when magic began to circulate between them. The procedure was painful, but luckily didn't take long.

"That was... strange." Rin took a deep breath, a bit pale. "I can manipulate all five Elements and you still blocked me with something… different. It must be investigated as soon as possible! We should begin your training imme…"

"Miss Tohsaka." Caster's voice cut the air like a silver knife, polite and firm at the same moment. "I'm aware that relationships between siblings may sometimes look weird from the outside, and forgive me if I overreacted, but could you please stop treating my Master like your property? I suspect this is how modern mages behave, but Master should decide for herself."

Rin frowned angrily, ready to argue with him. Sakura stopped them both, gently touching her sister's hand.

"It's fine," she said, but not to Rin. Her eyes, shining with a new kind of inner strength and resolve, were focused on Caster. "I'm already this far, so it wouldn't be wise to turn back now. I should learn. I don't want to be a burden to anyone. This is the least I can do."

Arjuna stared. Sakura stared back, and everyone in the room was aware of a silent exchange between them.

_"Is it really what you want, Master?"_

_"Yes, don't worry about me."_

His irises suddenly changed color, just like during the battle with Lancer. Sakura wondered what Caster could really see with those beautiful, cold eyes. What was he thinking? What he truly wanted – from her and the Grail?

She smiled, strangely sure that trusting him is like walking on thin ice… But she still decided to give it a try.

* * *

"You should summon yours soon. Or you will die."

Shirou turned around, but the little girl was already gone. Only a strand of white hair flashed in the corner of his eye.

Yet she was there, he could still feel her presence in the air. And that mysterious voice, whispering straight into his head:

"You can come with me and watch. Just this time."

Emiya hesitated. Was he imagining things? Or someone just attacked him with a charm spell in the middle of the street?

Fuyuki indeed changed recently. Someone got stabbed in the neighborhood, someone died in a gas explosion. Even Tohsaka yelled at Shirou all of a sudden, warning him to not wander the town at night.

And now that strange little girl just passed him by, alone on the dark, unnaturally silent street. Wasn't she afraid? What if someone attacked her? Maybe he should follow her, just in case?

A cold shiver ran down Shirou's spine – it was a warning, no doubt about it. But his mind couldn't resist the charm anymore. Something in those red eyes and sweet voice… hypnotized him, literally.

Not entirely sure that it was his own decision, Emiya turned around and followed the girl through the sleeping town.

* * *

It was a late evening, when sisters finally said farewell to each other. Tohsaka decided to take a longer route home, to calm herself after a day of weird discoveries and even weirder conversatons.

"So… what do you want to do, Rin?" - Archer asked, when they reached the edge of the forest near the Tohsaka residence. "Eliminate Caster and then what? Forcibly place Sakura under your care for the rest of the war? In the basement, if she insists on protesting?"

Rin stopped and took a quick look around, in case they were observed.

"It actually sounds like a good idea!"

Archer sighed heavily.

"Not really. They seem to be compatible. I don't think she'll be happy to join you if you just get rid of him."

"We'll make it look like an accident." Rin shook her head, surprised what kind of a vicious plot had come to her mind. "Anyway, I won't risk having my only sister killed by her own shady Servant. Casters are sneaky, manipulative bastards."

"Of course. They're mages, after all. But the great hero Arjuna, if it's really him, was a warrior. A very honorable one, if I remember correctly."

"Then why were you so nervous during the entire conversation, huh? You looked like a loaded gun, I almost started to worry about you."

The bowman ignored her sarcasm with dignity.

"Because he's an enemy Servant, and my duty is to protect my Master."

"Yeah, right." She almost shouted, when Archer suddenly materialized next to her and pulled her hand. "Hey, what are you doing?!"

"Performing the duty we've been discussing a moment ago."

Tohsaka needed a painfully long second to realize that Archer was shielding her from… a little girl?

But when she focused enough to detect an aura of a Servant standing behind that girl, her face turned pale in an instant.

"This is bad," she whispered, looking around in search of possible evacuation routes. She couldn't find any. It seemed that they fell right into the other Master's trap. "Really bad."

Out of politeness or not, Archer did not deny it.

* * *

"I don't get it, truly." Lancer raised an eyebrow, nonchalantly spinning his weapon. The difference in strength between him and his opponent was just too obvious. He could destroy the witch in a second, if his Master would give him such order. "First Caster pretends to be an Archer, now Assassin pretends to be a Caster. What next, huh? Archer who pretends to be a Saber?"

Assassin did not answer, only hissed like an angry cat. Her violet lips - the only part of her face visible from under the hood – moved hastily, forming an unrecognizable spell. A rain of shadow missiles fell on Lancer's head. Although totally ineffective against him, this small trick at least it slowed him down for few seconds.

"You missed. Missed. And… missed again." He leisurely deflected all missiles and looked around. The forest surrounding the Ryuudou Temple seemed as calm as always, probably no one bothered to observe their little fight. "So… back to the topic. Are you ashamed of your own legends or this war is just weird?"

"Aren't you the one, who should be ashamed, Lancer?" Assassin smiled, seeing the spearman's reaction. "Yes, I've been observing the city, I have many eyes. And I know what happened to your Master."

"I don't think you're the right person to judge anyone, witch." Lancer's eyes narrowed dangerously. If this woman continues getting on his nerves, he will change his mind and dispose of her, even without an order. "It's true that I couldn't protect my Master, but at least I wasn't the one who killed her."

Assassin chuckled. Her cloak rippled in the non-existent breeze, making her look like a weird species of dark butterfly.

"I just didn't want to fight for a wish of an unworthy murderer, that's all." It was obvious that she felt more proud than guilty of the mentioned deed. She tilted her head, provoking the other Servant further. "You, on the other hand… No, I don't want to judge you, Lancer. Actually, I can free you from this burden. A little favor is everything I ask in return."

Lancer gave her a long, curious look. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then just jumped forward without a warning and pierced Assassin's heart with his spear.

The witch predicted such eventuality – what Lancer took for an enemy turned out to be nothing more than an illusion made of shadows.

"You are such a violent man… How unsightly!" Her voice echoed in the forest, coming from many directions at once. "If you change your mind, you'll know where to find me."

Lancer focused, expecting a surprise attack, but couldn't detect anything suspicious. Nothing disturbed the majestic silence of the temple grounds anymore. Realizing that his mission was over, he just turned around and walked away.

"Tch. Making deals with the Witch of Betrayal… do I really look like an idiot to you?"

* * *

Shirou regained his senses at the sound of a huge explosion.

He blinked several times, trying to understand why he decided to come to the Tohsaka's house at midnight. Right, he followed that strange white-haired girl… Right now she was standing at the edge of the forest, commanding a black giant, who was trying to smash a strange guy in red.

_Who are these people? Why are they fighting?_

Emiya realized that he was just standing there like a complete idiot, exposing himself to danger. He stepped back, trying to take cover between the trees, when a familiar voice made him freeze where he stood.

"_Anfang_! Take thaaaaaat!"

_Tohsaka?! Did she just use a spell?_

Another magical explosion almost threw the stunned boy on the nearest hill.

"Oh? Tired already?" The white-haired girl smiled. Behind her back a black mass of muscles stood up slowly, ignoring a weird-looking sword stuck in its chest.

Rin grasped her last three jewels, panting heavily. She had used up so many already, but managed only to slow this beast down. Fortunately, Archer fully utilized those precious seconds she gave him and went for the kill.

How many times they defeated him already? Four, five?

More importantly - how long will they be able to keep it up?

Tohsaka winced. Her circuits were burning, her muscles will soon refuse to cooperate. She truly was giving all she's got in this fight.

But it still wasn't enough to win or at least safely retreat – Illyasviel von Einzbern, how the girl introduced herself at the beginning of their duel, and her army of strange familiars simply didn't let them escape.

"Focus, Rin!" Archer again tried to block one of Berserker's strikes with his swords, and again ended up thrown few meters back. "Aim for the head!"

Gritting her teeth, Tohsaka took a swing, but changed her mind in the middle of a movement.

"I hereby summon you, the thousand-rayed Sun,

Vanquisher of the Gods and the Asuras!"

"Caster?" Rin couldn't believe her own ears. What was he doing here? Did Sakura order him to follow them?

"Where?" Illyasviel looked around, trying to detect the new enemy. Her magic circuits were glowing like a red labyrinth under her skin. "Where is he?"

Something bright materialized above their heads. Although Caster was still invisible, his weapon was slowly taking its final shape. It looked like an arrow made of pure sunlight.

"There! What are you waiting for, Heracles?! Don't let him finish!"

The asphalt shattered to pieces under Berserker's feet, when the giant prepared to jump at the new enemy.

"Archer!" Rin reacted immediately. Whatever Caster was planning, they had to help him.

The red bowman attacked with a never-ending stream of arrows, fully understanding intentions of his Master. Although it looked like Berserker was only chasing away a swarm of annoying bugs, it was enough for Caster to end the incantation.

"With the blessing of my great father, Indra,

I will now have your head! Anjalikaastra!"

Archer retreated in the last possible moment. Heracles jumped forward, with his weapon raised in defence, but they all knew he couldn't possibly block the upcoming missile. Arjuna's magic came at him like an arrow, sizzling and buzzing loudly. All those sounds, including Berserker's roar, soon drowned in an awful noise of explosion.

When everything went white, Shirou instinctively covered his eyes. Such blinding light, such terrifying energy! He blinked, trying to see anything through hot tears, just in time to watch in terror how Berserker's severed head rolled on the ground.

His giant body was barely recognizable, though, with a huge, still burning hole from neck to abdomen. But Emiya had seen enough already to know, that this walking mass of muscle will regenerate in few minutes. Now, when Caster lost the element of surprise, preparing such complicated spell won't be easy anymore.

Lost in such thoughts, Shirou almost jumped, when invisible fingers touched his hand.

"It's me, Senpai! It's just me." Sakura's voice was unnaturally calm in this mess. Or maybe it only felt like that because of this annoying ringing in Shirou's ears? Standing so close to the explosion wasn't the smartest thing he did tonight. "Come, we must run before he wakes up."

"Right… But what about Tohsaka?"

Indeed, Rin didn't move, only stared at the headless body before her eyes. Even Illyasviel seemed surprised by this decision.

"Oh, aren't you running away? That arrow was quite impressive, taking two of Berserker's lives at once, but we all know you won't be able to repeat that."

"Shouldn't you be the one to run?" Rin raised an eyebrow, playing brave, although she was already very tired. Taking four or five lives of Berserker sure was draining. "Now we have two Servants against one, so..."

Illyasviel burst out laughing before Tohsaka managed to finish the sentence.

"You really think your numbers make any difference? You've learnt nothing, Rin, if you think you can take on my Heracles only with Archer and Caster. Show them, Berserker!"

The net of enormous magic circuits of the Einzbern Master painted her skin red for a moment, when she fed Berserker with more energy.

"As if he wasn't regenerating fast enough…" Rin bit her lower lip, thinking intensively. Maybe Illyasviel was bluffing to make them retreat? With half of its lives taken, and with another Servant on the stage, Berserker was the one at a disadvantage, right? "Archer, how many times you can defeat him?"

"With your assistance, Rin, two, maybe three."

Tohsaka hissed through clenched teeth. It was still a gamble then. She hated to admit it, but the result depended on Caster's abilities. So the most important question was…

"Caster, can you kill Berserker at least three times?"

Arjuna, who landed softly on the ground behind Rin's back, was silent for a while. Too long, in Tohsaka's opinion.

"I don't know," he said eventually, in that annoying, flat voice. "I cannot truly read him. Not only because he's a Berserker, but also because of his fighting skills. As expected from such an outstanding hero and a demigod." He smiled bitterly to himself. "I can be only impressed."

"But if we leave him be, his lives will regenerate and we will have to start all over again," Archer noticed emotionlessly. Although he was bleeding from many wounds, he stood firmly and proudly, waiting for his Master's orders. "With half of our attacks useless, including that flashy arrow of yours."

"I still have a few aces up my sleeve, don't worry. You too are far from going all out yet."

Archer gave him a meaningful smirk.

"I don't think it's the right time for that," he admitted and turned to Tohsaka. It was her decision to make, after all. "So… what are we going to do, Rin?"

She didn't know and was angry at herself. Her heart told her to fight, but her brain ordered her to withdraw. Even if they could defeat the Einzbern team tonight, exposing themselves this much at the start of the war wasn't wise. And Illyasviel was so sure of victory, that she gave freely her Servant's identity at the very beginning of this uneven duel. Maybe she was still hiding something?

On the other hand, what if it was their only chance to get rid of Berserker?

"Hey, what are you waiting for?!" – Sakura shouted behind them, already pulling Shirou away from the battle. "Run, quickly!"

"Time's out," Illya said suddenly, as in response to Sakura's warning. Her Servant stood up and grasped his weapon again. "Get them, Berserker!"

Many things happened at the same moment - Sakura and Shirou watched everything like in slow-motion, with their eyes wide open. Heracles roared and jumped. Rin ran. Archer tried to shield her, with both his blades in defensive position, ready to take the strike on himself.

Only Caster didn't move, to Sakura's surprise. He just stretched out his hand, staring at the charging black mass of muscles with that glowing Clairvoyant eyes.

"O, Vayu, bring forth the heavy winds!"

A powerful gale arose between Arjuna and Berserker, catching the giant warrior off guard and pushing him few meters back. The outburst was strong enough to throw Heracles on the nearest hill and destroy the trees from the sheer power of impact. Although the attack was directed towards the Servant, Illyasviel also got wiped off by the hurricane. She fell on her knees, squealing like a scared little animal, ordering Berserker to help her…

But Shirou and the others didn't see this, already on the run. Arjuna joined them after a moment and picked Sakura up without warning.

"What are you doing?!" Her feet waved helplessly in the air; it seemed that she weighed nothing, held tightly in her Servant's arms. "Put me down!"

"No. You're not in a condition to run, Master. Actually, you shouldn't be allowed to leave the house. I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

"But…!"

"He's right." Rin interrupted their little quarrel. "Thank you for saving us, but don't push yourself too hard. Please," she added quietly.

Sakura blushed slightly, surprised by a caring tone in her sister's voice. Could this be that she was useful to Rin, just this once?

"Are you all right, Master?" Alarmed by this strange, unexpected silence, Arjuna slowed down. "You haven't fainted, have you?"

"I wish I could," she whispered, pressing her hot cheeks to his chest. "Being carried like this in front of everyone is just too embarrassing!"

"No, it's not." But he, too, couldn't hold a smile. "We all will be in troubles now, if something happens to you. Besides, I'm starting to like it."

"You're not helping, just make everything worse, you know? This is not something you should casually say to your Master…"

"Where are we going?" Shirou asked, breathing heavily. "We're probably far enough already to think of a plan?"

"And what are you even doing here, Emiya, after I told you to stay out of this?!" Tohsaka suddenly entered her angry mode. She poked Shirou between the ribs, almost making him lost his breath. Even if such cruelty was only her way to deal with frustration, no one intended to stop her.

"Hey, what was that for, Tohsaka?!" Shirou rubbed the sore spot with an expression of a kicked puppy. "I was under a spell, probably…"

"Yeah, right."

They hid behind a corner of a taller building. The street was empty at this hour, but they still decided to keep their voices down, just in case.

"Are we even pursued?" Caster looked around. He put Sakura down only after she punched him with her elbow. "I can't sense other Servants nearby."

Rin glanced meaningfully at Archer, who nodded and jumped to the roof.

"No signs of Berserker in sight," he reported after a moment. "I don't think that Illyasviel will let us go so easily, but it will be difficult for her to chase us between the buildings."

"We should hide," Tohsaka said, thoughtfully stroking her chin. "But where? We cannot go back to my house for now."

"And my room is too small for us all," Sakura added apologetically, although she really didn't have to.

"It's decided then." Shirou took a deep breath and led the way. "Let's go to my place."

"Are you sure, Senpai?" Sakura was first to break the silence. The guilt in her voice was so overwhelming, that Caster gave her a curious, caring glance. "It's dangerous."

"Of course I am. As Tohsaka kindly noticed, it's my fault that I'm now involved in this… war of mages or whatever it really is." He shrugged. "At least I want to know who and why wants to kill me."

* * *

...

Hello, nice to see You again! Thanks for comments and kind words. I hope You enjoyed this chapter as well.

As You probably guessed, there are at least two moments in this chapter, where the story can split into different routes. I decided to go with the 'main' route first, because it's the one with the most satisfying ending, at least in my opinion. I call it 'Full Cooperation Route', if You want to know what to expect.

Obviously, eventual pairings depend on the route, and the main one is probably the most complicated of them all (in case You wondered - yes, 'Shinji route' exists, and I won't apologize for that).

And the last thing: yes, Anjalikaastra is the 'arrow that killed Karna'. This version of Arjuna doesn't like to use it, but they were all going to be smashed by Heracles, so... He also used Antardhana Astra to make Sakura and himself invisible. But the wind, which threw Berserker at the hill, was just a mana burst - when casted properly, Vayuvyastra can lift entire armies off the ground.

...


End file.
